Residents of Asante Akyem North Constituency in the Ashanti region have expressed disappointment in their MP over claims of a functioning plantain processing factory in the area.
Andy Appiah-Kubi, during a parliamentary debate, claimed the factory was already exporting plantain to Canada in defence of the government’s One District, One Factory (1D1F) initiative.
The Asante Akyem North MP put up a strong defence during a debate on the 2023 Budget on the floor of parliament.Â
He touted the initiative as one having provided a source of livelihood to Ghanaians, especially his constituents.Â
The Asante Akyem area is one of the leading plantain-producing communities in Ghana.
Farmers, traders and residents of Agogo, however, say they are yet to see any plantain processing factory in operation.
They are calling on their MP, Mr Appiah-Kubi to retract his claim.
The Municipal Chief Executive Officer, Francis Oti Boateng, also sighted the factory which sits in weeds.
“The first face of the factory is done, it is left with the second face. We are yet to get machines,” he said.
“We have been producing but for exporting, we are yet to begin,” he said.
A former DCE, who is into private plantain biscuit processing, said there is no such plantain processing factory in the constituency:
“As a Member of Parliament, he should have known that the factory is not even located at Agogo.”
George Frimpong further explained how government and 1D1F Secretariat failed to fund his project.Â
“After government accepted to fund the project, we were told to visit Exim bank but as of now, not even a penny has been given to us.”